


Rotted Spaghetti

by Norasilotak



Series: A Dinner With Skeletons [1]
Category: Undertale (Video Game)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Horrortale (Undertale), Attempted Murder, Bad Teeth Papyrus, Bara Sans, Domestic Violence, Horror, Horrortale Papyrus (Undertale), Horrortale Sans (Undertale), Implied/Referenced Rape/Non-con, Other, Scoliosis Papyrus, Silent Sans, Smart Papyrus, Traps, Vomiting, Welcome Spaghetti, domestic abuse, papyrus is a sweetheart
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-04
Updated: 2020-05-04
Packaged: 2021-03-02 21:54:20
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 10,012
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24003928
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Norasilotak/pseuds/Norasilotak
Summary: It's the story of a murderer, a victim, and two big weird skeletons in the middle of the woods at night...
Relationships: Papyrus & Sans (Undertale)
Series: A Dinner With Skeletons [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1731094
Comments: 12
Kudos: 30





	Rotted Spaghetti

**Author's Note:**

  * For [RyftWyrd](https://archiveofourown.org/users/RyftWyrd/gifts).
  * Inspired by [Bones, Picked Clean](https://archiveofourown.org/works/11692404) by [lulu-writes (luluwrites)](https://archiveofourown.org/users/luluwrites/pseuds/lulu-writes). 
  * Inspired by [Cage of bones](https://archiveofourown.org/works/6809974) by [Golden thread (Lusewing)](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lusewing/pseuds/Golden%20thread). 



> This might be the starting one-shot of a serie concept. A Dinner with each and individual skelepair. Starting with the HorrorBros. 
> 
> English isn't my mother tongue, so there might be mistakes here and there.

The human standing in the middle of the woods was crying.  
It wasn't a big, shaky, sniffing cry.  
It was just bland tears silently running down their cheeks.  
They really didn't know why they were crying, and they didn't care.  
That was just a way to face death, you supposed.  
Not that you were thinking too hard about it.

They were standing, their hands tied in their back, a gag in their mouth.  
And they were watching Billy digging a hole in the middle of the woods, in the middle of the night, a flashlight put on a nearby rock to see what he was doing.  
He didn't have brought anything to murder them with as far as they could see. Just him, the shovel, and them. He had other tools in his car you didn't see. In any case he didn't bring them with when they left the car and sank into the woods, him leading the way with the flashlight, and them obediently following.  
Surely he would be better off using an actual gun, but you didn't see any. Maybe he intended to strangle them. He always liked choking them in bed. Surely that's what he was planning. Or maybe use the shovel he was digging with if he felt like it.  
You didn't know. Not that you could really guess what he was thinking. For the long time they had been with him, and you had no idea how long he'd kept them locked in his basement, you still happened to be surprised by his decisions. Like, for example, dumping them in his car boot and driving far away in the middle of the night to murder them in the dark woods.  
Why would he murder them now. After all they had been through. You thought they had well behaved. They had submitted to everything he ever demanded. Not that they had a choice on the matter... Still, they could decide to fight back. They didn't.  
Not after the first few weeks at least.  
They had eventually realised fighting physically was vain. So they decided to submit, while nurturing hope in the secrecy of their soul.  
… Then he started getting all... soft and caring. Eventually they stopped hating him.  
They even started to feel for him.  
Then he would change back to the way he was, just so that right after calming down, he would take care of their beaten, broken body with such delicacy that they couldn't believe he didn't love them.

You didn't know when they had lost hope.  
But after all this time... so long you had given up on counting the days, the weeks, the months... After so long. Here they were. Watching him bury their grave, and still they didn't fight.  
Why would they ? They would likely help him dig if he told them to. Digging such a big hole in the middle of the woods was truly a hassle and he probably didn't like it that much. It was mere necessity for whatever he planned, and usually he delegated necessary hard work on them ; like all domestic chores. If he told them to, they would obey and dig their own grave.  
But he didn't ask them. He didn't want them to do that, and that was okay. They didn't want to do anything he didn't want them to do... If only they truly wanted to do the things he made them do.  
But that ? Weirdly enough, they would rather do it than stand and watch. But he didn't trust them to do that and oddly enough, it hurt ever so slightly.

In what felt like years, you were outside for the first time. It felt so eery, the cold wet breeze on your cheeks. It was so familiar, yet foreign at the same time. And it tugged painfully something in your chest.  
They were going to die tonight. You wondered... How they felt about that.  
Usually you would force yourself away from thinking too hard about what was going on. But tonight, they were going to die so what did you care. If you had to think about yourself and their feelings, it was now or never.  
But you were so tired...  
You closed your eyes. You took a deep breath.  
You tried to remember who they were. Before him.  
The young... teenager who wouldn't give in without a fight.  
Who thought they were being clever when they decided to stop fighting only to keep on nurturing internal fight.  
Only to realise, months later, that they had just stopped fighting at all.  
Was that young fool still alive somewhere ? Or were they just a walking dead ? Patiently, obediently waiting for their grave ?  
In some ways, Billy was right to do that. If they were really just a zombi, then he just had to put them in the ground. They weren't worth living anymore.  
Right ?  
That's why he was doing this. There had to be a reason, some reason for this. And the right reason certainly was because of you. They weren't worth keeping and caring for. Because you had given up. And that lead him to get bored of them. So naturally he would throw them away like any other trash.  
Right.. ?

So here you were, in the middle of the woods, dead where you stood. It was just right you were going to be put in the ground.  
So, since they weren't going to fight and just submit to their fate, as he so rightfully taught them to do long ago, you thought you could as well open your eyes and see. Breathe and smell. Listen to the nocturnal noises. Feel through their skin.  
The present moment.  
Just so that you could... You had no idea. Feel something ? Make the moment last ? Have something to hold onto, if not their own life ?  
You had no idea. You just did.  
And in that moment, when time had meaning no more, when future was just a hole in the ground, when their own life was nothing...  
You felt light. All of a sudden, a weight you hadn't even realise was there, lifted from your shoulders.  
Only the breeze filtering through the trunk of the trees mattered. Only the sounds of the woods at night mattered, rythmed with those of dirt removed with the shlicks of the shovel. Only the silhouettes of the trees, coated with the deep darkness of the night mattered. Only your breath, cold then hot, in and out, mattered. The soreness of your limbs and bruises faded ever so slightly.  
In that moment, you felt good.  
You wished they could keep feeling so serene forever.  
But they wouldn't, because you were about to die, and then they would stop feeling anything.  
You resumed watching Billy digging your grave.  
This moment could last longer.  
If only your death could wait.  
And, all of a sudden, the reality of their situation dropped back on you : you were about to die.  
You knew this already. Why did it feel any different now ?  
… Because, they realised, you didn't want to die.  
They stopped wanting anything a long time ago, but now, you felt alive. Very alive. For the first time in a long time.  
And you didn't want it to stop.

Calm serenity left place for adrenaline.  
You gazed in the darkness of the woods.  
The moment was gone, but you were now carried by a sudden fight or flight instinct that just came back from the deads, so you moved.  
You slowly stepped backwards, keeping wary eyes on busy Billy.  
You walked slowly to the line of the trees surrounding you.  
Then something snapped under their weight and you froze.  
You looked at Billy, who was standing, still, in the hole he just dug.  
Watching them.  
You couldn't see his face, as it was merely a black silhouette shaped with the brightness of the flashlight behind him, but you knew he could see them very clearly, trying to flee.

You gulped.

You tensed.

Seconds passed so slow they seemed like minutes.

He jumped out of the hole.

You ran.

Running with hands tied on the back isn't easy.  
Running in the woods at night is dangerous.  
But you did that without a second thought. If you stopped running you would die.  
You tried to see the glow of the car's headlights, but you couldn't see it.  
They wouldn't be able to drive anyway.  
The road, where was the road ?  
You had no idea where you were.  
You had no idea where you were running to.  
You could hear him stomping behind them. Coming up fast.  
You tried running faster.  
They felt things cutting their legs and their face in your blind hurry. You paid no mind.  
The flashlight he was holding was brightening the path with fits and starts, just enough for you to see, but that meant he was seeing them too.  
He was coming fast. Too fast.  
Suddenly, you heard a metallic snap.  
You heard him yell in pain and they startled, stumbled, and fell.  
You crawled and turned on their back to look at him and-  
His leg was caught in a bear trap.  
He was yelling so loud.  
He started trying to pry the iron jaws open with the shovel.  
You didn't waste time to watch him and got back up on their feet and resumed running, pain numbed in your desperate haste.  
Soon darkness engulfed you and you couldn't see a thing.  
You were breathless.  
Ice cold and burning hot at the same time.  
Your heart pounding so hard in their chest you were aching.  
Adrenaline fueled in their veins and allowed you to push on, running despite your hands tied in their back.  
Suddenly you felt raised from the ground and pain shot in their legs.  
You fell forth but something caught them. Something spiky that cut their face and you whimpered.  
You were in a barbed wire net.

The pounding of your own heart was deafening and your breath was shaky. You tried to move but it made the barbed wires sink deeper in their flesh and you stopped, wailing.  
On instinct, they held their wails, so hard you felt like choking yourself. When he would have managed to free himself, maybe if they kept still and silent he wouldn't find you.  
You heard him yelling again in the distance. Not far enough. He was still trapped but alive and so close- maybe he could see them from where he was, maybe he would pry the jaws open and hobble up to them, and then he wouldn't be merciful. He would kill you slow. Or maybe not, maybe his own pain would blind him with rage and he would kill you faster than he wanted. That- that would be better. Right ? The irony struck you and you would laugh if they weren't hurting so much. A second ago you wanted to delay the end as much as possible. Now you wanted it to come faster.

Well, maybe he wouldn't manage to get out of the bear trap. Maybe he would stay stuck and slowly bleed out. And they would remain here in the middle of the woods to perish from... Tetanus ? Thirst ?... Bears ?  
You had no idea which scenario you disliked the most, and you couldn't think of any way to get out of this. Maybe the person who set the traps would come by ? What kind of person sets traps like this ? Bear traps, you could understand. Barbedwire nets, much less. They weren't in any shape to think too deep about some theoretical person in the woods coming for you anyway. In any case, you were going to die.  
You felt tears run down their cheeks again.  
This was a nightmare.  
You had had a moment. Serenity. And now- now they wasted it. They foolishly put it to waste by thinking- thinking you could run-  
What were you thinking. Running in the woods, at night, with their hands tied in your back ? Really ? They had no chance. You were just a desperate fool. Just because something had tugged in your chest. What was it ? Hope ? Ha ! They were better off without it, at least they didn't suffer. Or at least they couldn't acknowledge it. Desperate fool running blindly.  
And for what, delay the inevitable ? Looked like you succeeded all right. They were stuck in a death trap and you wouldn't die fast, each breath difficult, because of the gag in their mouth, and the hot fluid charging their nose. You had no idea if it was blood or mucus. Forcing your breath, either through the nose or the mouth was spreading a stinging pain through their body.  
But they couldn't just stop breathing. They had to keep breathing. Breathing so hard between clenched teeth that you hurt. Breathing so hard through stuffy nose that you choked then sank deeper into the spiky net.  
Gosh you hurt everywhere. You were pretty sure they were bleeding, too. You wouldn't get back to your peaceful state of resignation. They hurt too bad to even attempt to breathe properly and forget where you were.

You tried swallowing their pain. Ah, here came anger. Why now. Why. You needed anger sooner. You weren't angry against him though, but against themself. Foolish, stupid, idiot. This was all their fault. They brought this on yourself. They deserved all of this didn't they ?  
They let a strangled, muffled wail escape you, and the sound of their own voice above his gave you some ground. Just so they wouldn't just scream mindlessly, you tried talking-  
And the words that came out of their mouth was a cry for help.  
Well. It was meant as a cry for help. It came out as a pathetic, muffled, strangled ''hhnhm''.  
Really.  
You would slap themself if your hands weren't tied.  
There was a long time now you hadn't cried out for help.  
Because, at that time, nobody came.  
And nobody ever came since.  
Nobody would either now, especially here, in the middle of nowhere, a place a man chose to bury a corpse with good chance to get away with it because no one would ever find it.  
They were lost.  
You were going to die.  
Slowly.  
Painfully.  
And you would hear him cry at a distance behind them without seeing him, and you didn't know what was worst, hearing him at all, or not seeing him.  
This wasn't a nightmare. This was real.

Could this get even worse ?  
Just- just because they couldn't hold back any longer, and you didn't want to hear your own wimpers, they kept trying to call for help, but wailing instead.  
To no avail.

Nobody cam-

Your heart skipped a beat.

Right in front of them, you saw.

In the darkness of the trees, it was hard to tell, but you saw- a silhouette. A very, very tall, thin silhouette.  
It could be their imagination, but suddenly the silhouette moved and stepped closer.

Your breath escaped them as you saw their doom walking up to you.

As a child their parents would tell them stories with scary, bad monsters hunting humans down. It was terrifying but reassuring because in the end, the monster always met justice by a human hand, and victims were saved and people could live happily ever after, but never ever forgot what lurked in the dark beneath the ground and learnt valuable lessons from one's misfortunes.  
It didn't prevent nightmares to come torment them at night, with promises of terrible doom launching from under their bed if they ever laid a toe on the floor at night, if they ever watched your reflection in the mirror with the lights off, or if they even thought of speaking bad to their parents.  
And as a teenager, they only felt virtual, good thrills crawling on their back from all the creepypastas they used to read. Tall, lanky figures with no face in the middle of the woods.  
Childish nightmares that faded away as they grew over them and learnt to know true evil within men's heart, monsters only another name for very human sins.  
But what came up to them was nothing of a man.  
It was nothing remotely human.  
It was a true monster.  
A literal, real monster.  
One that would haunt any child's night and reduce any adult to insanity.  
It was a monster beyond any child's books. It was a creature came out of the most dreadful horror movies, a thing only sick minds could invent and share in the most glaucous creepypastas, but it was real. Otherworldly real.  
Like Death incarnate. Their fate, coming to you as they called for it with oh-so much desperation.  
A skeleton. A tall, lanky skeleton with spine issues, awfully crooked teeth like woodboards, ragged clothes and sharp edges. It lowered itself down to them, bending its weirdly crooked spine, to look at you in their eyes. Its eyesockets were small, sunken and empty. It... smiled. Somehow its skull shifted its shape to form a smile and it was so unsettling and painful to watch.

Your heart raced.

This. This was Death.  
People told them you see your whole life flowing before your eyes when you died, just before you see yourself in a dark tunnel with light at the end.  
People lied to them.  
You see Death itself coming with a somewhat elegant spring in its steps and a huge warm smile that was nothing remotely reassuring nor welcoming, even though they felt like it was meant to be.  
Why would they feel that ? It was madness, it was Death, why would it be welcoming, it is death you don't want to die get away get away get away-

Terror invaded your mind.

Their scream of horror only rang in your soul as they found themself silent as a corpse- well, if not for your pounding heart.

A deer caught in the headlights.

But neither the screams of their tormentor nor the screams of their blank mind nor your rushing heart could cover the volume of the boisterous voice of Death :

''WOWIE ! HELLO, HUMAN. HOW ARE YOU DOING IN THIS FINE EVENING ? IT IS I, THE GREAT PAP-''

Darkness engulfed you as they went limp, fainting.

You vaguely remembered being carried around for a while- you could not tell how long exactly. A few shots of clarity, in their daze, pictured a big cabin in the woods. A cabin that looked just like any slasher movie cabin, inspiring some detached dread in knowing this is where you were going to die. The comforting warmth of a fireplace. Voices you didn't know. Wimpers by their side, wimpers that made you feel odd. Wimpers you couldn't place but seemed familiar. Then a wave of soothing warmth covering your skin, sinking in your sore flesh and relieving you from pain, while a voice kept speaking cooly to you. You didn't process the words, too caught up in the unexpected comfort to care.

You must have drifted to sleep because memories, real and imagined, merged to give you a really awkward picture of your situation. The certainty of death didn't falter and soon, a sudden, palpable fear shot your eyes open and they straightened on the couch they were laying on, and you immediately worked on taking your new, unfamiliar environment :  
Across a short table, a fireplace spreading nice heat. On its left, A small, old and unplugged TV by a huge dark wooden table. Used woodfloor. Missing ceiling, gaping to the spidery roof above. On the right side of fireplace, an armchair with-  
Billy.  
Billy was sitting in a huge armchair that made him look like a little boy. His wounded leg had been attended to, wrapped in bandages, and was laying on a pillowed stool. He was looking straight at them with an unknown glint in his eyes.  
A glint of genuine fear.  
He was lost, confused, and obviously frightened.  
A state of mind that echoed yours just right.  
They couldn't start to process all this.  
Billy was harmed.  
They wanted to see him healed and healthy.  
You wanted him to hurt and suffer.  
They wanted that glint of genuine fear in his eyes to go away and leave place to his usual smug confidence, so annoying yet reassuring.  
You relished in this fear that echoed theirs... and yours.  
They were in this together. They needed each other ; and it was both terrifying and weirdly comforting-  
This odd feeling crept up again and you clenched your chest. Billy wanted to kill you, to kill them. And they were ready to flee with you. You didn't want them to fall again for him… You didn’t want to let them fall.  
But it was hard to think straight or think at all when the man they had learnt to fear and love looked just as lost, confused, and frightened as you were.

He was here with you in all of this.  
No. Billy was the cause of all of this.  
They shook their head. Billy was there with them. He would find a way to save you, as he always did.  
You felt nausea coming up.  
The conflict wasn't going to help. You tried to soothe their frenzied mind despite your own fear. You didn't need this. You tried listing rational reasons why they shouldn't rely on Billy right now :  
For starters, Billy was wounded, he wouldn't be of any help.  
And now Billy wasn't in control anymore.  
And if Billy wasn't in control, then the whole world would collapse-  
You felt feverish with the surge of panic. You tried breathing steadily, but they wouldn't comply. You had to de-escalate this !  
Billy wasn't in control. He wasn't in control. He wasn't- but someone else was.

That's when the tall, looming skeleton's voice rang, freezing the raising panic instantly.

''Barbedwired Human ? You Are Awake Already ?''

You lifted their gaze and saw its skull. They gaped as they realised with horror that it was simply looming from above the wall separating the living from the next room. The ceiling had been removed to allow it to walk comfortably in its house. That's just how tall it was.  
It walked around the wall and hunched to pass the useless door frame and join you, carrying plates and dish wares.

''I Am Relieved. I Thought You Were In For The Night, For You Had Drifted To Deep Slumber. Yet Apparently You Are Too Anxious To Rest. But It Is No Issue ! Once You Have Something In Your Stomach, Cooked With Care By Yours Truly, The Great Pa- UH, Crooks, You Will Naturally Fall Asleep And Find The Rest That Is Much Needed To Heal !''

You pat their body and found out you were covered with band-aids. You were also in underwear, the blanket being the sole cover against the stench air. Said stench being exhaled from somewhere in the room the skeleton came from.

''Yes, I Healed Your Wounds, Just Like I Treated Your Mate's Leg ! I Am Glad Both Of You Are Awake, For It Is Time To Dine !''

It walked towards the huge wooden table and placed the dish wares on it with brutal, painful clanks that resonated in their ears. Its way of speaking was odd, as if it held itself from screaming, and you were kind of grateful it did ; because you weren't sure you could take the booming volume it used earlier in the woods.

''I Am So Happy To Have Humans Over For Dinner !''  
Their blood ran cold. That was it. That was what the skeleton prepared for them. You were going to be eaten.  
Of all possible dooms there was, this one was one of the most unsettling to think about, yet, it wasn't the worst. At least their body would serve a purpose.

''Brother, Could You Please Help Our Guests To The Table ?''

In their confusion, you couldn't see it before you felt it. A chill in the air. Coldness creeping on your back. In the corner behind the armchair, loomed an other frame you didn't notice before.  
Had it been there all along ? How could you have missed it ?  
You couldn't see the details of the creature. You knew it wasn't human, if the bright red light in place of an eye was any indication. It was fixed on Billy, who just realised he was observed and started to shiver. The figure was large, tall, powerful looking. It wasn't nearly as tall as the other one but its stillness, silence and attentive scrutiny was unsettling far beyond anything the tall skeleton had ever done or said yet- aside, maybe, from the dinner thing.

''SANS ! Ah-''  
Your attention snapped back to the booming lanky skeleton, who held its jaw in... pain ?  
''N-Nyeh, Sans, Please, Could You Move The Guest To The Table ?''  
Suddenly, the bright red light of the large silhouette flickered.  
A large hand with thick boney fingers emerged from the shadows. It was thick and disproportioned. Inhuman. A second one followed, snooping slowly, delicately, Billy from his seat as the large figure walked out of the corner.  
Billy was trembling.  
Billy was crying, sniffing.  
He really looked like a little boy in the arms of this terrifying large skeleton.  
All the while, the bright red eyelight never broke from him.  
With a shuddering horror, they saw its skull in the fire light.  
It had a gaping hole. Big enough to swallow their own skull. Right above the red lit eyesocket.  
This skeleton had nothing human. The other one was insanely tall, but this one was more roundish and heavy-looking. Like a... redneck woodsman butcher version of Death.  
Its hoodie of an undefined passed color was stained with brown trails you identified as blood, opened to a brownish checkered shirt like any stereotypical woodcutter would wear under overalls.  
The... 'Sans' carried Billy to the table with a deliberate slow pace.  
You couldn't decide if the slow pace came from a considerate effort to not hurt Billy, or just its natural pace.  
It set him on a chair, elevated with pillows. You heard Billy cry in pain.  
Despite its slow and careful pace, it still managed to hurt Billy somehow. Which sparked something in their heart, something akin to a distressed empathy, that was hardly covered by the state of shocked fear they were stuck in. You tried to put that spark down before it lit your soul on fire.

''Sans ! Be Careful, He Is Hurt !''  
The lanky skeleton, 'Pa-Crooks' as it called itself, was the opposite of the 'Sans'. It didn't seem able to stand without fidgeting, especially its hands and skull ; it couldn't keep still, and each movement it made was swift and sudden. It had set the table quickly and had been back at the kitchen, from which it just came back with a big pot. The stench became almost unbearable.  
It shot its sunken gaze to the human still sat on the huge couch and said :  
''Do You Need Assistance In Settling At The Table ? I May Carry You There If Need Be ! I Had Lots Of Fun Carrying You Through The Woods !''  
You didn't respond. Instead, you gulped and forced their legs to work. They hesitantly laid a bare foot on the floor, then the second, and stood carefully. The blanket slid from their shoulders.  
The tall skeleton's back straightened suddenly with an audible crack that made them jump.

''Oh ! I Forgot Your State Of Undress ! How Oblivious Of Me !''  
It strode through the living to the table and loudly put the pot on it.  
''Sans, We Must Give Them One Of Our Shirts !''  
Nowhere in the room the Sans could be seen. Where did it go ?  
You gave a start when you felt chills on their skin and snapped their head to your right.  
Said Sans was now standing right next to them and its crimson stare was set on you, unwavering.  
How did it move unnoticed ?! Gazing up to its face, scarred with a plastered, crazy grin, you felt unnamable things crawling on their back.  
You gulped and couldn't break eye contact with this... red, freezing glare. The eyelight was pierced in its center with a black dot, giving it a semblance to an iris. It was... almost human. Monstrously so.  
You stared frozen like this for what felt like minutes until the other skeleton broke the silence again.  
''Don't Be Shy, Barbedwired Human ! Take The Shirt ! You Can't Stay Undressed Like This !''  
Only now did you notice that the Sans was handing them a piece of cloth.  
With a trembling hand, they took it. Sans did nothing to snatch or hold it back. It did nothing at all, only staring at you with an unnerving stillness, its hand still in offering like it was still holding the shirt.  
There was a long time they had not worn anything that hadn't been offered by Billy. They wore only things he wanted them to wear. Mostly nothing. They were used to wander their hom- their prison naked. The few moments they were dressed, they felt like they were more than a thing, yet they only wore clothes for Billy's pleasure. Tonight, they had been wearing simple baggy clothes, those he used as a reward when they behaved well ever since they told him they were comfortable in those. That was, until the skeletons got them off of them in their daze, leaving them in the fancy underwear Billy had made them put on before leaving.  
The shirt the skeleton gave them was worn, but surprisingly clean. As they put it on, you felt how light and pleasant it was. It was a huge shirt, hanging low like a dress, the head hole was so large a shoulder was showing. It was slightly scratchy, but felt oddly comfortable, and with it on they felt like having some kind of shield against the stenchy air. They felt ever so slightly more confident, though belittled by its size. You felt relieved they were calmer now, even if a bit anxious.  
''Great ! You Are Dressed Now ! I Know This Shirt Doesn't Fit You Well, But Worry Not ! Your Clothes Are Being Washed Right Now, As Soon As They Are Clean, You Will Be Able To Wear Them Again. Now Come On ! Come And Sit ! There Is Good Food To Eat !''

They walked less hesitantly to the huge wooden table. It was built to the monster's height, so their eyes barely arrived at its edge. They were like a little child again, and it was a bit unnerving. You identified the chair meant for them, as a few big pillows were piled on it to allow them to sit at a proper height to eat. They climbed and managed, after some struggles, to sit on the pile.  
All the while, you kept glancing with fearful curiosity at the two skeletons, who just looked back at you without moving an inch, silently. Though the 'Sans' had been very still before, the sudden stillness of the taller one was unexpected and odd. Only once you were settled, did it break from its unsettling scrutiny.

''Good ! Now, Let Us Eat My Delicious...''  
It uncovered the big pot in the middle of the wood table in a dramatic and slightly frenetic gesture.  
''...Welcome Spaghetti !''  
The stench exhaled by the pot was overwhelming. Tears pearled at the corner of their eyes.  
You couldn't see what was in the pot, but with the indescribable smell it had, it possibly couldn't be edible.  
But.  
There were times they had eaten things that smelled much worse. That one time, long ago, they had turned down whatever Billy brought them to eat, because you didn't feel hungry. It wasn't even out of defiance. But Billy still took that as disrespect. He forced fed them their own feces as a punishment. After this, they never refused any food he would bring them. Everything tasted bland ever since, as if the revolting thing had burnt their taste buds.

So when the lanky skeleton served them generously what resembled black, goopy, stinky spaghetti cooked in a trashcan with a dead corpse's fluids sauce, you didn't grimace. You looked at the plate in front of you and gulped. You felt their stomach grumble. They were hungry somehow, despite the stress. Billy had the same serving but had a hard time not puking over the table. He was sweaty. Blemish. He had bags under his eyes and an oddly alert, yet blurry look in his eyes. He really, really didn't look well.  
You found them worried over his well being. Something in your chest tugged and you blamed them for feeling pity for the man who tried to kill them, and who treated them so poorly. But they couldn't help but worry. Everything wasn't so bad at Billy's house. They could be treated well, if they behaved well. Billy had always been fair to the rules he fixed. (You might not have been always fair to them.)

''Worry Not, Barbedwired Human ! Your Mate Will Be Up And Ready In No Time !''  
You snapped back your attention to your host, that had served its eerily silent brother and itself, busy tying a napkin to its neckbones.  
''Now Time To Eat !''  
Its brother was already shoving handfuls of this thing in its mouth, with gurgling sounds. This was a terrifying sight : its skull shifting to allow its seemingly fused jaw to open wide enough to gulp their entire human head if it felt like it. You had no idea how it managed to keep all the food in its mouth without a visible tongue, and you really didn't want to think too hard about it.  
You'd probably discover it sooner or later, when it would decide you were doing a fine dessert.

''SANS!- Ny-'' the Pa-Crooks held its apparently aching teeth that couldn't bear its natural volume, ''Would You Consider Showing Proper Table Manners For Our Guests ? You Didn't Even Put A Napkin On ! And Use Your Fork !'' It seemed- both in tone and gesture and... facial expression, as much as a skeleton could be facially expressive,- apologetical for its 'guests'. With a dramatic sigh, it took its brother's napkin and proceeded to wipe the shorter skeleton's teeth and stained shirt (so the mouth apparently couldn't hold all the food at once in its mouth after all), then tie it around its neck. All the while, the shorter skeleton kept on producing chewing sounds, with clicking ones that must be characteristic of chewing skeletons, though it stopped shoving things in its mouth, obediently, yet distantly, laying back to allow the Pa-Crooks to proceed, without much reaction to its scolding.  
Billy couldn't hold a quiet, sickened wimper.  
''See ? Even The Rotted Human Thinks You Are Gross !''  
You blinked a few times, finally registering most of what the tall skeleton had said in its incessant rambling. The term 'rotted' sprung to your mind, and you took a second wondering about that specific choice of word. Then came 'mate' with it. That's how it called Billy, 'your mate'. You weren't sure what it was supposed to mean from it, and now that most of their panicky mind had calmed down, you were cautiously trying to piece some things together. It was hard though, as there was many things that didn't make sense. They didn't even want to give in the effort. To them, the situation was simple. Far from easy, but simple enough : don't be rude. Behave. You chose to rally their mindset for it allowed to at least focus on simple things, and overlook everything else.

''Please Don't Judge My Brother Too Harshly. He Has Trouble With Fine Motor Skills Ever Since-'' It stopped talking suddenly, casting a glance at its brother' head while vaguely gesturing at its own skull. Said brother didn't seem upset, as it is, it didn't seem really there ; its red iris was blurry and vaguely gazing at nothing.  
Had you only have the will to judge it at all, you wouldn't be able to. You had trouble processing its very existence already. At the moment, you were still expecting you hosts to cook you or devour you raw right on the table. Besides, if you had the same hole in their skull, they would probably not be nearly as... lively.  
Lively.  
The absurdity of the thought startled you out of your odd mindset for a second, earning a small nervous chuckle that escaped their tight lips.  
The roundish skeleton snapped its crimson attention back to you, and just like that, your mood dropped and froze. They shivered thinking that you offended the terrifying monster that could hold their whole skull single handedly and shove it entirely in its mouth. They sheepishly dropped their gaze down to their plate.

''But, Don't Mind His Poor Table Manners ! Please, Eat ! This Will Get Cold.''  
As the lanky tall skeleton eagerly looked at you, and the other one got back to its gross chewing business, they looked down at their food again.

You couldn't offend your hosts further more. You were making a very impolite guest, they berated you. The more they considered things, the more they hoped you might be spared. All depended on their behavior, as usual. If you were obedient and well mannered, maybe the monsters would be merciful. They knew all about obedience. Billy taught them well.  
With renewed determination, old habits came back and they took their big fork with a way steadier hand than it was seconds ago.

They had eaten worse. It smelled terrible, but, if the taste was just as terrible as the smell, then it wouldn't be as bad as eating their own poop warm out of your digestive oven.  
You breathed deeply, trying to brace yourself for the flavor shock. Bad idea : doing so just made you inhale more of the revolting smell.  
You cast a look at Billy, hoping your disgust wasn't showing. He really, really wasn't doing alright. He seemed sick, ready to faint. And what prevented him from doing just that seemed to be his morbid fascination for their behavior. It seemed like he couldn't believe what they were doing, watching them with wide opened eyes.  
For a second, they considered putting the fork back down, as if his pleading eyes were giving them an order to stop. You nearly did it. But, Billy wasn't the one in charge here and now, as hard as it was to accept it. The skeletons were. You couldn't afford to offend them, for both your sake and his.  
Maybe Billy was silently begging them to eat for the two of you.  
They would happily oblige.  
So, with renewed calm and steadiness, they grasped their disproportioned, coarsely carved fork with both hands and managed to gather a few splotchy slimy dark spaghetti on it. You didn't observe too closely the texture of the sauce, afraid you might find something you really didn't want to have in your plate.  
They approached the big fork to your opened, dry mouth, keenly aware that all eyes were on you.  
They put the food in it and started chewing.

Your eyes snapped wide open with shocked surprise at the taste. It wasn't terrible. By all means, this was the best meal they had ever tasted in centuries !  
It was savory.  
You couldn't put words on the flavors that invaded their senses, but you wanted more. You realised they were actually starving.  
A pressure left instantly their lungs, shoulders and stomach, and they dived for the food. The fork was too impractical to use so you just put it down and started using their own hands. So much for good manners.  
You heard a low rumble emanating from across the table. You snapped your head up and realised the rumble came from the larger skeleton's ribcage. It sounded like... a chuckle.  
As for the other host, its face was horribly contorted into a conflicted expression.

''Barbedwired Human, As I See You Are Truly Enjoying My Meal, I Will Pass On Your Poor Table Manners. I, The Great P- CROOKS, Will Teach You Some Etiquette Later, As Of Now, You Are Starving And In Much Need Of Sustenance.''  
It sighed. You couldn't decide if that was a dramatic sigh or a more sincere kind of sigh.  
''It Is As If Your Mate Didn't Feed You Properly.''  
All attention suddenly turned to Billy.  
Confused, you looked at him too.  
He still hadn't touched his plate, and was fearfully looking at his benefactors.

The 'Crooks' talked with more... softness in its tone.  
''Did You Both Have Trouble Finding Food Where You Come From ? Is This Why You Went Here ? Were You Planning On Hunting ?''  
Billy visibly gulped, but couldn't bring himself to answer with more than a terse nod.  
''This Is So Unconscious Of You To Come Here ! There Are Many Traps I Set All Around, You Were Lucky I Was Conveniently Checking On Them In The Middle Of The Night !''  
The Crooks turned to the Sans, and kept on :  
''Could You Believe They Were Running Blindly In The Dark ? What Could They Possibly Be Thinking !''  
With a disapproving shake of its head, it turned to Billy again :  
''Things Were About To Take A Deadly Turn.''  
You distinctly felt Billy shrink in his seat.  
''You Should Have At Least Waited Until Sunrise Before Hunting ! And You Might Have Considered Bringing A More Practical Weapon, Since A Shovel Wouldn't Deal Nearly As Much Damage As A Gun, Or A Knife !''  
It seemed to recall something in its memories as it thoughtfully tilted its head to the side and rambled :  
''Ah, Well, A Shovel Is An Alright Enough Weapon When You Have No Other Choice, But It Really Isn't A Merciful One On Your Target.''  
You felt dread raising your hair as the talkative skeleton shook its head disapprovingly once again. If there was any doubt of its murderous nature before, and there really wasn't, then you had your proof. They were still doubting though, as they kept listening intently to its rambling with a numbed fear that made you unsettled.

''Ah, Really, This Is Unfortunate You Have Been Caught In My Traps. They Aren't Meant For Humans, They Are Meant For Preys !''  
Suddenly, it bore its sunken gaze into Billy. He visibly flinched.  
''Are You A Prey, Human ?''  
As a drop of sweat ran down Billy's forehead, and yours, the tall skeleton laughed. That was a horrifyingly loud sound, and it quickly stopped, as it held its jaw with a pained groan.  
And as soon as it stopped, it uncovered the low rumbly chuckle that now could be heard again from the Sans.

You opened your eyes wide again.  
A bright sparkle of realisation cleared your mind.  
This was supposed to be a joke. They were laughing ! Scolding Billy like the little boy he was to them !  
And, in their confused mind, it actually sounded funny.  
They let out a quiet, shy chuckle as their corner lips perked up, but immediately silenced themself as both the Sans's and Billy's eyes bore into you. You resumed eating their food with their hands, not daring to cross any of their gaze.

''Joke Aside, You Obviously Aren't A Prey. There Is A Prey Were In The Room, But It Isn't You.''  
You stopped eating.  
Your blood ran cold for the Xth time this night.  
Your heart skipped a beat as the expected sentence finally came-  
''It Is The Vegetables That Are In Our Plates, Plucked Right From The Garden, That I, The Great… crooks... Take Real Good Care Of In Order To Eat Healthy Food Cooked With Love Everyday ! Nyeh Eh Eh !''  
You audibly breathed, relieved. But tensed again as you noticed the red eyelight remained focused onto you.

''Talking About Healthy ! Sans, Why Don't You Try To Make The Conversation, Too ? I May Be The One Making Up For Your Terrible Table Manners, But You Could Be Talking, Too !''  
That had the merit to tore the crimson glare away from you, as it flickered and looked at its brother. Then it seemed to lose itself in a blur, but the lanky skeleton lightly shoved its shoulder and it was immediately brought back to present time. It then bore into Billy.  
You saw him slowly shrink into his seat once more as the glare pinned him some more in an awkward minute of silent consideration.  
Then, the Sans grinned even more if possible, and all the slight comfort or sense of safety they managed to gather in the short time eating, vanished as dread incarnate talked, without even moving its jaw, slowly with a low, rumbly voice that sent your own ribcage vibrate :

''… soo... what's diggin'... ?''

You waited for the rest of the question, but it never came. You were lost in a fearful confusion, as you didn't understand if it had said exactly what it meant to say or if it hadn't said everything. Billy didn't seem to understand either, but the simple mention of 'digging' seemed to unsettle him greatly. Plus, the skeleton was pinning him with its red glare, so you couldn't decide whether to trust the grin that told it was pulling his leg, or the glare that told it was dead serious. You thought it wasn't safe to trust any of it at all.  
Thankfully, its brother saved Billy by interjecting, relenting on leaving the conversation to the mutic weird skeleton :

''So, What Were You Doing Out There In The Woods With Your Starved Mate And A Shovel, Besides Hunting ?''  
Billy didn't have time to make up anything, too unsettled, before the Crooks cut him with an enthusiastic outburst :  
''CAMPING ??''  
Billy nodded, as he seemed to want to go its way, whatever could save him. With frenetic gestures, the tall skeleton started ranting about how cool camping was, before interrogating Billy once more :  
''Camping !... In A Hole In The Ground ?''  
You distinctly heard the Sans's very low rumbly voice say something before Billy could answer. You thought you heard it repeating ''what's diggin' ?'', but you weren't sure.  
''I Am Confused Why Humans Would Want To Sleep In A Hole In The Ground, Brother.''  
As the Crooks turned to the Sans, the larger skeleton resumed talking, still very slowly.  
''… all... humans... end... … six feet... 'nder... ground.''  
Ice cold shivers chilled you down, as they wondered how he could make their bones vibrate when he was talking so quietly. You suspected the answer was fear.  
''But, Brother, Some Prefer Being Incinerated. Plus, I Really Don't Understand Why They Would Want To Finish In The Place They Purposely Banished Us In As A Retribution. Regret, Perhaps ?... Oh, I See !''  
The Crooks brought its attention back to Billy.  
''You Were Digging A Hole As An Investment For The Future. Like I Do With The Vegetable Garden ! Very Clever, Human !''  
To that, the Sans let out a dark chuckle that made you shiver in their very core.  
''less... work f'r us...''  
''I Can't Believe How Lazy You Are, Sans. If The Humans Needed Our Assistance With Digging Their Hole, I Would Have Dug Them A Very Neat One, So Comfortable They Wouldn't Ever Wake Back Up ! Nyeh Eh Eh !''  
You couldn't believe how cheerfully it talked about their doom. With that sentence, you know couldn't decide which skeleton was the scariest. With trembling hands, you resumed eating, in case your show of gratitude could help you survive this dinner. Even they had little hope though.  
''See Beartrapped Human, I Can Appreciate Your Hard Handy Work While Your Mate Goes Running- Ah, Barbedwired Human, It Wasn't Very Wise To Go Jogging With Your Hands Tied In Your Back. If Not In The Hole, Where Were You Running To, Anyways ?''

It seemed to wait for an actual answer, one neither they nor you could give. They didn't feel hungry anymore ; a pit formed in their stomach, and you felt like falling in an endless void. You wouldn't have ran anywhere else than their grave, would you ? Of course you wouldn’t.  
Just as the truth sank deeper in, the larger skeleton answered its brother for you, as its glowing red iris pierced you like it was reading your soul.

''… out of... time.''  
''Sans, Humans Can't Run Out Of Time. Time Doesn't Have A Door To Cross, And Humans Need Those To Go From A Place To Another ; Besides, Wherever They Go, Time Always Catches Up To Them. Anyways, Barbedwired Human, You Might As Well Have Stayed Helping Out Your Mate Instead Of Risking Your Life, Though I Can Imagine It Would Have Been Difficult With Your Hands Tied.''  
The Crooks frowned its browbones.  
''Is It Some Mating Ritual To Tie One's Hands And Go Running After Them In The Dark ? It Seems More Like Playing Prey. It Reminds Me That My First Impression As I Saw You Two Running Blindly, Was That Barbedwired Human Was Beartrapped Human's Prey. At Least It Seemed So At First. But Then, Upon Closer Inspection After You Fortunately Caught Yourself In My Ingenuous Traps Meant For Preys Instead Of Falling A More Dangerous Fall, I Realised You Two Shared A Very Similar Scent. In Fact, I Was Taken Aback By Barbedwired Human's Scent, Finding It Very Unfitting To Them, As They Gave Off An Impression Of Harmlessness And Obedience, While The Scent Covering Them Was The One Of A Dominant Yet Insecured Predator. Something Really Was Amiss ! Then, When I Freed You, Beartrapped Human, I Realised That This Was Your Scent ; And That It Had Completely Covered Barbedwired Human's One Because You Two Have Been Really Close, For A Long Time ! That's How I Deduced You Are Mates !''

It seemed proud of its deduction, puffing its chest.  
''Though, This Is Unsettling To Witness Such Possessive Love. I Never Ever Thought One's Scent Could Be Completely Covered And Disappear Under An Other One's, It Is As If You Possessed Them More Than You Cared For Them. This Shouldn't Be ! With No Judgment, Human, Everyone Is Free To Respectfully Love Their Mates The Way They Feel Fit, But I Believe One Is Supposed To Care For Their Mate, And Cook Them Healthy Food With Love Everyday. Just Like I Do For My Brother ! But We Aren't Mates, Obviously. We Are Family, And That Is A Thing One Does For Family As Well.''

You had stopped eating as its rant went on. Now it was blabbering about its good cooking and gardening skills, sometimes pestering about its brother's laziness as a woodcutter, but you only listened vaguely.  
So, they were Billy's, wholly. If it was telling the truth, and you had no reason to think it wasn't, then their very body smell had his mark. It wasn't so absurd. There was a lot of them that they had left behind, that they had teared apart, torned and threw in the trash for him. He pieced them apart and reassembled you the way he liked. Now, an otherworldly creature was just confirming what you already knew : you were his.  
They knew this already, they even used to repeat it before sleeping. Yet, you found them filled with bitterness as this truth was confirmed in a deeper, more primal level. And with it, a part of you that had been raised from the dead this night, growled in hatred.  
You were his. And you were dead, too.

''Now, Now, Enough Chit Chat ! Beartrapped Human, You Must Eat ! You Must Be Starving Just As Much As Your Mate If You Came Here For Hunting !''

Seconds passed, but as Billy wasn't moving for the food, his fork suddenly moved on its own, catching all your attention.  
You looked at it, gaping.  
The fork dipped in the plate and gathered slippery blackish spaghetti, before being lifted with an invisible force up to his mouth.

''You May Thank My Brother For His Assistance, As You Are Apparently Incapacitated At The Moment ! Emotions Must Surely Overwhelm You With Teary Gratitude For Your Generous Hosts Who Served You Such A Delicious Meal When You So Desparately Needed It. Now Open Up, Human !''  
The big floating fork trudged at his mouth, but he didn't open.  
''Come On, Human ! Don't Be Difficult !''

Seeing Billy being fed had already unsettled you further more than you already were. Now, the casual admonishment sent icy chills down their spine. ''Don't be difficult''. Same words Billy had repeated to them anytime they showed any sign of resistance. You saw themself back in his basement, eating from his plate, as he was feeding them with his own fork. ''Don't be difficult'' he said, when they first tried to regain a bit of control by taking the fork to feed on their own. He always fed them himself, like they were a little girl, and always made them share his food from his plate. A knot formed in their stomach and you winced, but managed to not tear out your attention away from everything around you, carried by a delusional, vain sense of self preservation.  
The red eyelight shifted from the fork to you, then from you to Billy, and as the fork wavered in the air, back to the fork that stabilized itself under its gaze.  
Was the Sans doing this ? Was this magic ?  
You could not start to imagine all the insane stuff they could do with such power, as they chose to focus on their food again. They would show gratitude. They would show enjoyment. They would do anything to not be called ''difficult'' by their generous hosts. Right now, they were eating on their own, with their own hands ; it was undignified, but more so than being coerced into it.  
So, even if they weren't hungry anymore, they swallowed handfull after the other.  
You heard Billy gulping and whimpering. You looked back at him to see his face scrunched in a disgusted scowl, as he visibly forced himself to swallow the food he had just been force fed with.

You didn't understand. The food was alright. Smelly, sure, but tasty. Not bad at all. Yet his reaction showed utter disgust and he couldn't hold back the bile that crept up his throat and slipped out from between his lips in a translucent fluid.

Silence filled the room.

With a somewhat quieter tone, somewhat concerned, yet colder, the Crooks broke it :  
''Do You Not Like The Food, Beartrapped Human ? What A Shame. I Have Plenty Of It To Feed You With, And Nothing Else To Offer...''  
It seemed truly sorry and disappointed.  
It shook its head though, resuming its rambling :  
''But That Means You Weren't Really Starving. Which Is Good ! No One Deserves To Starve.''  
It shivered in a loud rattle of bones.  
''My Food Proves Tasty And Filling Enough For Those Who Starve, Or Had Starved in any way, Tough I Am Aware That It Is Barely Edible To Normally Constituted Humans. Sometimes It Can Even Be Poisonous ; But Only For Gluttons Who Rot. In Fact, The More Rotted The Eater Is, The More Poisonous The Food. Not In A Deadly Way, Hopefully, But In A Very Unsanitary, Painful Way.''  
Billy's face blanched more if possible, and he was sweating bullets as you felt dread creep up their spine as well.  
Was... was the food poisoned ?  
Was it deliberate, or did it really not suspect you both to be... 'Rotted' ?  
Why did this surprise you ? Minutes ago, you were set on the thought that you hosts wanted to cook you for dinner. Seconds ago, you hosts admitted you were going to die either way. It shouldn't be such a shock to hear your food was poisoned... Yet, they weren't sure the skeletons really intended to hurt them.  
Why giving the effort to heal their wounds then ? Why feed them at their table ? What did they want from them ?  
If the monsters wanted to kill them, why poison ? When they could levitate things, or use the great strength the Crooks showed off when it carried both them and Billy to its den, and when the Sans carried effortlessly Billy to his seat ?  
Was this all a test ? To see if you were good to eat ?  
It kept calling Billy 'rotted'. Did that mean that, by liking its cursed cooking, you were the opposite of rotted ? Did that mean you were good to eat while Billy was not ?  
What were the skeletons going to do to Billy if they weren't going to eat him ?  
Use him as fertilizer for the garden-the-Crooks-took-real-good-care-of-in-order-to-eat-healthy-food-cooked-with-love-everyday ?

''But Such Rotted Soul Isn't Running In The Woods, So To say, Nyeh Eh Eh.''  
It paused as if to highlight the humor of its words. No one reacted.  
''So You Have Nothing To Fear, My food Must Be Unsavory But It Shouldn't Be Poisonous To You. Would It ?''

Suddenly, you heard Billy cough in a gurgly sputter.  
You turned your head towards him, and horror struck you.  
He was coughing out blood, that spread on his plate.  
His face white as a sheet and his eyes blurry and reddish.  
He started to fall on his side, but in a split second, the large quiet skeleton was there to catch him.

''Oh My Stars ! Rotted Human ! Are You Feeling Sick ?''  
The lanky skeleton grabbed the water pitcher and loomed over the whole table to reach Billy's face.  
''Drink ! Humans Need Water To Feel Well !''  
You could only stare in disbelief as Billy got almost drowned into a flow of clear water, that washed his face off the blood and black sauce that covered his chin.  
The larger skeleton shivered slightly and produced a rumbling sound.  
Its brother snapped its attention to him immediately.  
''I'm Listening, Brother.''  
Its eyelight shivered ever so slightly before the Sans started to talk with his cavernous voice :  
''...couldn't... stomach...''  
Then its smile got even wider if possible, making its eyesockets curve slightly, as it looked at its brother with a certain spark in its eyelight.  
The other skeleton, who had had the unexpected patience to wait for him to continue, took a deep breath, pinched its noseridge dramatically, before answering :  
''Sans, Even For Puns You Are Getting Lazier. You Could Have Formed A Proper Sentence At Least ! I Know You Are Capable Of It. But, Now Is No Time For Joking ! Lay The Rotted Human On A Bed. I Am Afraid You Are Right, My Cooking Was Too Tough On His Stomach.''  
It turned to you suddenly.  
''But Fear Not, Hungry Human ! My Brother And I Will Take Great Care Of Him ! He Will Be Up And Ready In No Time To Live The Life He Rightly Deserves ! And With Your Help-''  
It walked around the table to offer you its long, spidery skeletal hand,  
''I Am Sure He Will Get The Treatment He Needs.''

As the Sans started to chuckle with his deep, rumbly voice that put you on edge, you turned your gaze to Billy.  
He seemed really sick. He was looking at you with a look you never imagined to see in his eyes. In his eyes, you saw terror. You saw him begging you for help, silently, as his mouth was uselessly gaping in the air, unable to form words.  
Your gaze climbed up to the larger skeleton's face, as it kept chuckling with a dark spark in its crimson eyelight, set, unwavering, on you. Slowly, you turned back to the other talkative skeleton, whose hand was still offered to you.

The whole night played in your mind. The shock had passed, and you could form some sort of coherent thoughts. But it was still quite difficult. You had no idea what you were in for, but there was only one reaction a proffered hand was calling for. And they would certainly not leave their host hanging like this. They would certainly not be a rude guest.  
You looked up at the monster's face, and they saw him brightly smiling with all its crooked teeth.  
So, as your heart rate slowed down, as your breath steadied slowly, they pursed their lips in a smile that they wished echoed his, and you took his hand.

**Author's Note:**

> Hope you liked it ! I have ideas for further development for this fic, but it will wait until I posted other Dinners. Maybe. (Don't count on it)
> 
> Thank you a lot, RyftWyrd, for betareading and supporting me. It means a lot!
> 
> If you guys want to hang out, chat about fics, share fic suggestions or even betaread, here is a server for that: https://discord.gg/sp8PUX  
> Feel free to pass by!


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